Replacing shocks

[Ozzie]

Hi all.

I'm in the process of replacing the standard clapped out shocks on my VT with lowered HD shocks...

Would it be safe to replace just the front two and drive on it for a week until I replace the rears?
Would it hurt the new front shocks if the rears are worn?

Cheers in advance... Ozzie

[Morton]

Really? You're going to do the fronts first? Man, they're the hard ones!

And no, it won't hurt one bit

[Ozzie]

Really? You're going to do the fronts first? Man, they're the hard ones!

And no, it won't hurt one bit

Yeah their rachit man, took the car on a backroad @ 100 to warrnambool and ever since all 4 bottom out and are bouncy as hell.
Not to mention the highway through melton...

The fronts are going to be the easiest for me.. I have all the gear spring compressors ect... and even bought HD control arm rods/bushes to go with.

The rears are going to be tricky unless I have someone to hold them from spining.

Cheers for the reply

[Morton]

LOL you go about shocks the hard way

Jam a spanner over the top nut in the boot, and slam it into a corner. Then jump underneath the car and twist the shock out

[Ozzie]

Ok a small delema...

I have the complete strut out and the spring compressed. But the nut to dismantle the whole lot wont come undone?
Any ideas?

[Not_An_Abba_Fan]

It is easier to loosen the top nut before you remove the assembly from the car. But since you have already taken it out.... The top of the shaft has a hex, it is 10mm, put a ring spanner on the large nut first, the use a 10mm single hex socket and bar to hold the shaft and stop it from turning when you undo the large nut.

[SweetWagon]

Yep but on the Vt it is hard to loosen the top nut as its under the strut tower, I used a 10mm to hold it but i had to tap it onto the hex fitting, either that or pull out the rattle gun

[Not_An_Abba_Fan]

Not when you use a socket. When it is all still in the car and on the ground, the weight of the car holds it in place and it comes undone easier.

[SweetWagon]

Not when you use a socket. When it is all still in the car and on the ground, the weight of the car holds it in place and it comes undone easier.

The VT is different. The top of the strut is located with a rubber mounting plate im not sure that you can access the nut even when that rubber mount is removed.

[Not_An_Abba_Fan]

Yes you can. That plate is locked between the two nuts. Once you undo the top nut and remove the plate, the lower nut is easily accessible.

[SweetWagon]

Yes you can. That plate is locked between the two nuts. Once you undo the top nut and remove the plate, the lower nut is easily accessible.

Thanks for clearing that up, when I did it wasnt sure if you could remove that plate with load still on the suspension, I just dropped the whole strut and used a 10mm socket to hold the shaft. Will remember that for next time

[Not_An_Abba_Fan]

All that plate does is hold the strut in the tower and stops it from falling out with the suspension raised.

[Ozzie]

Ok done the job...

I had two spare struts sitten here from when I lowered it, The nuts came off them easily so I just cut the nut that wouldnt undo.
Dam it was hard on there, even vice grips and a vice wouldnt undo it.

Its all sweet now, thatks for your replies
Atleast its half done... still got the rears

[greenacc]

rears on a VS are piss easy , VT should be the same. ?
There's a flat on the top of the shaft just above the nut. just hold the flat with a shifter and undo the nut with a spanner. will take about 10minutes to replace each shock.

[Ozzie]

rears on a VS are piss easy , VT should be the same. ?
There's a flat on the top of the shaft just above the nut. just hold the flat with a shifter and undo the nut with a spanner. will take about 10minutes to replace each shock.

I think the VT shocks are a little different?
On top theres the nut but you cant get a shifter to hold the shaft from turning.

Theres two ways of removing them... ^^ Morton suggested one of them by sticking a spanner on the top and jamming it against the boot to hold whilst u twist the shock from under the arch or...

Get one person to hold the shock underneath whilst another undoes the nut on top.

The fronts however are very similar to the VS where you can jam on a 10mm spanner and use another to undo the nut from the top.